Teacher Arrested After Repeatedly Slapping Student

ABC News reports, a Texas high school teacher was arrested on Friday after video surfaced of her repeatedly slapping a student. Mary Hastings, a teacher at Ozen High School in Beaumont, TX, is seen hitting the boy five times while calling him an “idiot ass.” The student responds, “Why’d you did that?” before Hastings appears to mimic him, while the rest of the class starts laughing and yelling. The student then goes back to looking at his cellphone.

Hastings, 63, was immediately removed from the classroom and placed on administrative leave. According to the Beaumont Independent School District, the teacher was arrested for physically assaulting the student. She was booked at Jefferson County jail, before being released on bond.

“The District is committed to providing a safe and secure environment for our students,” the school district said. “BISD does not condone employees abusing any child and will not tolerate such conduct.”